I have vague memories of the features shown on this program. Some stood out more than others, such as Oliver and the Artful Dodger, Popeye Meets the Man Who Hated Laughter, and Lost in Space. Others served as previews or pilots for animated series, such as Lassie and the Brady Kids. Quality of story varied with studio and concept. The pairing of the Looney Tunes characters and the Groovie Goolies isn't generally highly regarded, as the animation was vastly inferior to the Warner Bros. shorts.
One of the first shows to really make an impression on me was Oliver and the Artful Dodger. It combined elements of Dickens' stories, not just Oliver Twist (if fuzzy memory serves). The character designs were from the master, Alex Toth, and the story was quite good, with real intrigue and suspense. The bleak world was rather scary to a youngster of the 70's. Unfortunately, at the time, I missed the second part and it would be some time before I saw how the story ended.
Another favorite was Lost in Space, from Filmation, featuring voices from original cast members. It showed a lot of promise, but was not picked up as a series.
Popeye Meets the Man Who Hated Laughter was also a favorite, as it featured many of the great Hearst Syndicate comic strip characters; including one of my favorites, the Phantom. It helped to fuel a desire to learn more about these characters and strips, which led to the discovery of many wonderful books about the history of comic strips, and reprints of gorgeous work, like Prince Valiant and Flash Gordon.
The other great memory was of the Willie Mays episode. It was somewhat unique, in that it featured a real person, not just an animated version of a TV character.
It's a shame that the concept didn't live up to it's full potential as a showcase for quality animated stories. Most of the material was fairly forgettable, even at the time, with a few great standouts. It could have spurred on higher quality for TV animation, but networks weren't willing to make the kinds of investments that would fund that type of work. Instead it became a unique experiment that is a wisp of a memory.
One of the first shows to really make an impression on me was Oliver and the Artful Dodger. It combined elements of Dickens' stories, not just Oliver Twist (if fuzzy memory serves). The character designs were from the master, Alex Toth, and the story was quite good, with real intrigue and suspense. The bleak world was rather scary to a youngster of the 70's. Unfortunately, at the time, I missed the second part and it would be some time before I saw how the story ended.
Another favorite was Lost in Space, from Filmation, featuring voices from original cast members. It showed a lot of promise, but was not picked up as a series.
Popeye Meets the Man Who Hated Laughter was also a favorite, as it featured many of the great Hearst Syndicate comic strip characters; including one of my favorites, the Phantom. It helped to fuel a desire to learn more about these characters and strips, which led to the discovery of many wonderful books about the history of comic strips, and reprints of gorgeous work, like Prince Valiant and Flash Gordon.
The other great memory was of the Willie Mays episode. It was somewhat unique, in that it featured a real person, not just an animated version of a TV character.
It's a shame that the concept didn't live up to it's full potential as a showcase for quality animated stories. Most of the material was fairly forgettable, even at the time, with a few great standouts. It could have spurred on higher quality for TV animation, but networks weren't willing to make the kinds of investments that would fund that type of work. Instead it became a unique experiment that is a wisp of a memory.